Candle holder machine and process



Sept. 27, 1932. R. s. ALLYN CANDLE HOLDER MACHINE AND PROCESS Rafieri 6L4 ZZyiW INVETOR Filed Feb. 28. 1930 Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNFTED ST T PATsfr orr cs ROBERT s. ALLY-N, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssienoR, BY manor ANDMESNE As- SIGN MENTS, OF ON E-HALF TO CYPRESS NOVELTY CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW

YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEVJ YORK, AND"ONE-HALF TON. D. Q. SFECIAIJTY COR- PORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK I 1 e CANDLE HOLDER MACHINE..AND PROCESS Application filed February 28, 1930. Serial No. 432,116.

This invention relates to the productionof what are commonly termed birthday cake candleholders. These holders consist of wire forms to which is applied plastic material commonly termed icing. The wire form consists of a helix forming a socket for the candle and a stem which serves as a support. Ac-

cording to prior practice the plastic material is applied by a' hand operation during which Another object is toprovide a method of manufacture which insures the quick drying of the product so that the holders can be im mediately packed-and shipped as soon as they are made. The invention is capable of embodiment in various forms, of which two are illustrated herein. I The invention contemplates, the employment of a series ofdies which are automatically actuated. Each die is formed of two parts one of which is adapted to support the wire form and provide a portion of the surface ornamenting area. The other part of I the die serves to complete the outer surface of the plastic material.

The plastic material is injected or squeezed into the space between the dies. of each die is carried by a suitable which preferably passes through or evaporating chamber. of each coact with the portion which carries the wire form. When-the holders are completed provision is made for their automatic ejection from the dies.

conveyor a drying Fig. 1 is a side viewand partial section One part The other portion 1 die is intermittently reciprocated to showing one form of apparatusfor carrying of the conveyor with the attached traveling i die elements and coacting injecting and come pressing elements.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing T a portion ofthe conveyor and two of the die elements. I Y i j j Fig. t'is a vertical sectional view o'n a larger scale showing a modified form of die in the closed position.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of another form of die construction with theparts of each partially separated.

The general construction and method of operation can be perhaps best understood by first considering the illustrationbf Fig. 4 in which the wire form socket member 7 having. the stem 8. The body 9 is of plastic material commonly known as icing, which is moistened and may include some form of preservative to prevent fermentation. 1

The lower part of the die 10 has a passage 11 for the stem of the wire form and a recess I 12 whose wall is of a suitable conformation to produce such outward design of the holder as may be desired. The plunger 13is shaped at its lower end so as to may be tubular or hollow and provided with a number of openings or slots 14 so that the plastic material may be forced through and injected between the spaced coils of the helix in the space 12 of the die 10. The die memher-15 is shapedon its lower edge to produce the desired conformation ofthe upper edge of the holder when it is the position shown in Fig. bers 1 5 may be guided on separately mounted as shown at 15 in Figs.

and 2.

4. These die mem- The die members 10 are suitably mounted on some form of moving such for instance as a purpose projections 17 are attached to or form a part of some of the links of thechain and the die parts 10 may be suitably-secured carrier or conveyor consists of the helical fit within the socket portion 7 of the wire form. This plunger.

pressed down intochain 16. For this the plunger l3 or to this projection 17 as for instance by means of screw threaded shank 18.

The conveyor is designed to travel in sprockets or wheels such as 1.9 and 20 which maybe rotated intermittently to produce the desired step-by-step action of the"tr'aveling die parts.

.J The other parts of the dies are carriedby reciprocating plunger 21 which may also carry theinjecting plunger 13 which is sup;

plied with the icing or plastic material from the reservoir or bag 22.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and-2 the upper die member 15 is mounted independently of the injecting and centering'plunger l3 andis provided with its own centering projecting or plunger 23' whiclffits into 'the socket portion 7 of the holder and thus keeps the space inside the holder'cle'ar and prevents the icing from being forced back into the socket by the action of the die par'tllhf. The

dies"ma-y be given additional support be neath the plunger by means ofananvil 24' which may be slotted fat 25fto 'perm'it of the passage of the stems or the holder. This anvil 2 serves to support the projections 17 of thec'onveyorm j It will be understood that the plunger 21 with the injecting outlet 13 and the forming die 15 is actuated intermittently while the conveyor 16 is stationary. It should be un derstood, however, thatt'he plunger might have simultaneous horizontal f traveling movementwith thefconveyor as is commonly done 1n dialand chaln'conveyor devices em ploying plunger operations.

Immediately after' th h caused to travel through aheating 'land f'dry in'g oven 26 through Whi'ch hot air is passed,

for instance in the inlet 27 andj o'ut through the exit-28. "This rapidly removes" the mois ture in the plastic material s'othat'the' hold;

ers'haiden' very quickly. This also' 's'erves as a convenient and desirable means for removing'any disagreeable o'dor which may arise from the vaporization of the moisture content of the plastic material.

To preventthe'holders"from falhng out of the'dies when the conveyor travels beneath the sprocket'wheel 20 a guard 29may be provided. At the end of this guard is provided a receptacle 30 for receiving thefinishe'd holders, which drop out by gravity. An additional receptacle 31 maybe provided beneath the plunger 32 so that any of the holders which have failed to be disengaged by gr'avit'yimay be forced out by a blow of the plunger 32 which is on the lower end of plunger 21.

In the modified arrangementof Fig. 5 the dies are inverted. The lower die member 35' isprovidedwith aprojection '36 which serves to centerthe'helixi37. The upperdie mem-' ber38 fhasarecess 39 shapedin accordance lders have been formed as above described they may be conveyor and that the upper die member 33 w ll; e'a t d; by u tab reeiprqcating P ung r me h ni m ndfihat. th P as tr al i l e quirtedvr. ei e e f n o t space 39 at the proper instant. It will be seen that in amechanism of this character where the plastic composition or material is 'appliedifrom' the outside of the wire form,

itis not necessaryto have the coils of the form spacedj 'a-p'art from each other as it is from the inside. a 4

where the'inaterialiis tobe squirted through;

In operation'it w ll be understood that the traveling dies will be automatically operated and that thewire formscan' be inserted by hand at jthe letth'and endofthe machine (as viewed in Fig. 1) The plunger with the upper die members 'areactu'ated automatically or are actuated by afoot or hand controlled mechanism. 'Y Various changesin construction and details may be made without/departing from the spiritor scope of'thisinvention.

I claim':' T

1. A candle holder making machine comprising two die elements one havin a pas sage tor the stem of'a WlIfOIm and t 1e other shaped to fit inside the helix of the form and means for injecting plastic material into'the space between the dies.

2. A candle holder machine comprising a conveyor having holders for wire secket torms,"mea'ns for applying plastic material to the outside ofthe forms, and'mea'ns for centering'the forms and compressing the 'in'a terial on the forms.

3. A candle holder machine comprising a conveyor having holders for wire socket v ying.

forms, means" for automatically app plastic material to the outside of the automatically" removing the candle holders from the'form holders. I i

4:. A machine for makingcandle holders which includes, a conveyor having holders for forms having stems, means for applyingplas tic material to the outside; of the forms and means for automatically engaging the stems masjecungthe finished candle holders. 5. A machine fonmaking candle holders comprising a chain conveyogq holders for 'wire forms earned by the chain conveyor,

means for applying plastic material to the wire forms whilein the holders and means Orms'," I means for drying the materialland meanstor forf ejec'ting forms the applied Ina:

terial K e '6. A candle holder making machine com; new .dieier farmi he d f.;

holders, said die having a passage for the stem of a wire form, a lunger adapted to fit in the center of the orm, means for injecting plastic material into the die around the form and means for forming the edge of the plastic material in the die around the wire form.

7. The method of forming a candle holder which comprises forcing plastic material outwardly through the interstices of a wire helix socket and shaping the exterior.

8. The process of making candle holders and the like which comprises placing a socket form in a die, squirting plastic material into the die around the form and compressing the material around the form to form a holder, removing part of the dies to expose a substantial area of the holder, and then pass ing the holders through heated air.

9. The process of making candle holders which comprises applying plastic material automatically to forms and passing the holders and forms with the outside of the holders exposed, through a heated chamber while removing the vapor from the chamber.

10. The process of making candle holders which comprises automatically applying plastic material to wire forms, subjecting 1t to pressure and then to a current of hot air flowing over a surface of the holder.

11. In a candle holder machine, means for applying plastic material to a wire form having a stem, means for inverting the form, and means for engaging the stem to discharge the completed holder.

12. In a'candle holder making machine, a die having a recess tapered toward the bottom and with a passage for the stem of a form through the bottom, means for forcing plastic material onto a form located in the die recess, a centering member insertable into the form and a pressing member for forming the upper face of the holder while the centering member is holding the form.

13. A candle holder machine comprising a die having an upwardly projecting centering member for supporting a socket form having a stem, means for applying plastic material to the outside of the form supported upon the centering member in the die and a punch member for compressing the material upon the form, said punch member having a passage for the stem.

14. In a candle holder machine, a die having a passage for the stem of a form, a nozzle insertable into a form located in the die for introducing plastic material through a form into the die and a presser member slidable upon the nozzle for compressing the material in the die.

ROBERT S. ALLYN. 

